June 19, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State sophomore Stephanie Bagan has been named the Mountain West Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Thursday afternoon.

A native of Granite Bay, Calif., Bagan earned All-America honors in the pole vault after finishing in second place at the NCAA Championships with a clearance of 13 feet, 9.25 inches. Prior to the national meet, Bagan emerged as the NCAA West Regional champion after she vaulted a personal-, school-, conference- and facility-record 14-3.50 in Northridge, Calif. Her regional effort was tops in the nation and as a result, Bagan went into nationals as the top vaulter in NCAA Division I.

During the regular season, the sophomore cleared 13 feet in six straight meets before vaulting 14-0.00 at the MWC Championships to win the league crown. The conference title was the third in her young career after already winning the indoor event in 2007 and 2008.

Bagan is the first Aztec in school history to earn indoor and outdoor All-America accolades in the same season and was one of only three pole vaulters in 2008 to accomplish the feat.

In addition, Bagan was named MWC Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week on April 15 for her effort at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. It was there that she cleared 13-11.25 to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Trials to be held in Eugene, Ore., June 27-July 6.

In its inaugural year, the Student-Athlete of the Year award recognizes the outstanding female athlete in the sport of track and field. Student-athletes are nominated and selected by the head coaches at each member institution.